Shallows
by FRENZY.ff
Summary: "Don't you question it?" Black hissed. "The parties, the properness... the yes-sir's and no-sir's? Being pureblood isn't your one defining role, Ayla. You're hardly even you." "And how would you know who or what I am?" I snapped, getting to my feet. "Because," He muttered, the smallest trace of sadness tainting his eyes. "I was you once." (Sirius/OC)


**Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling; if I were, I would be rich and famous. All characters and ideas belong solely to Rowling, minus my original characters and concepts. **

_Chapter 1: Introduction_

I was born drowning, and that was the irony of it all.

My life had been laid out for me before I even took my first breath. I was to be the little pureblood girl that my parents would raise me to be.

I was to achieve the finest education offered, excell in class and out of class, and astound others with my beauty and intellect. I was to be fashionable and orderly at dinner parties, to associate with people that were worthy and shun those that weren't.

I was to respect and entertain all of my suitors- and when the time came, marry a man that was rich and proper. I was to listen often and speak rarely, and to never, _ever _ask why.

But above all, I was to honor my kin.

The Copelands could be traced far back in history; we were one of the most notorious and creditable pureblood families. And with this credit, there came power.

My ancestors became dangerous and feared over time. They practiced dark magic, the kind of wizardry that was so blasphemous that it could only be whispered about in the dead of night.

Though there had been only a handful of undeserved curses and fouls along the way, this magic was enough to paint our name with a wicked reputation.

The Copelands grew quieter over the years as descendants were born, although we still live in infamy to this day. My father was the prime example of this.

While he had never (to my knowledge) done more than throw around some pretty vindictive threats, Jacob Copeland was still a dreaded figure. His blue eyes were cold and calculating, and many people fell nervous under his gaze.

These were eyes that I had inherited, although I had far less power wielding them.

Wow, that reminds me. Here I am going on about my family history, and you don't even know my name.

I'm Ayla Copeland, daughter of Jacob and Lydia Copeland, and I used to be their pride and joy.

I did what I was told, accepted their ideas as my own and never questioned them.. I was exactly the child that they wanted, well-mannered and obedient.

In their eyes, my life was going the exact way it was supposed to. I had been given a sense of security, and would never have to worry about what my future held.

It wasn't until much later, when I was around the age of 16, that I realized this refuge was, in all realities, a trap.

Dark times were upon the wizarding world.

The faces of missing men slowly began to fill up the pages of newspapers, and the little children playing in the streets were hustled inside by their mothers earlier in the evening.

There was a quiet, nagging fear taking home in every wizard's mind; a slow realization that something awful was beginning to take place.

My caution seemed to grow every time I caught my parents whispering or discovered the weekly paper ripped apart and hidden in our trashcan.

The curious part of me longed to know what the big secret was. I wanted to demand answers from my father as he returned from mysterious trips in the late night- but my caution kept me in bed, merely listening to him knock the dirt off of his boots through the paper thin walls.

My summer break was spent like this, a numerous amount of unwritten time gone just like that. Each day was a repeat of the last, with the same boring tasks and frivolous concerns.

Occasionally I'd attend a celebration or a formal dinner, where my mother hissed in my ear and reminded me to 'sit up straighter, Ayla' or 'dance with him, Ayla'. I followed through with her orders and put on a charming smile for anyone who looked at me, _  
_  
My steady foundation was slowly beginning to crumble, and each night I could only close my eyes and think the same thing over and over again until my mind grew tired and I fell into slumber...

_If life's a vast ocean, then I am surely sinking. _

My family was the anchor tied around my leg, pulling me down and suffocating me in the shallow depths of water.

Do this, think this, say this, be this.

Be perfect. Be pureblood.

My new life was merely inches above my head, still in sight but so out of reach. I was struggling to fight for myself, but the waves were so resistant and my resolve just wasn't strong enough.

My life preserver came in the form of Sirius Black.

It's funny because back then, even that name would have been enough to make me burst into a fit of unrefined laughter. How could Sirius Black, my sworn enemy and quite possibly the biggest git on Earth, have been the one to actually save me?

He was the hand that I needed at my lowest point to pull myself back up again. With his help, the anchor became untied and crashed down into unrecognized oblivion. With him, I was free.

My head broke the surface of the water, and I was reborn.

I realize now that you're probably terribly confused.

Who is Sirius Black? Who am I? And why should you care about either of us?

The answers to those questions are relative, I'm afraid. So let me tell you the story of my sixth year at Hogwarts...

The year that my life began to fall apart- and simultaneously, fell into place.

**A/N: Hi guys! So this is my first story for hpff, and I hope you all like it so far. I've had Ayla's story rattling around in my head for ages now, just begging to be told, but I haven't gotten off my butt and done anything about it until now... Lol. I know there are a few inaccuracies in here- the Copelands don't exist in Rowling's books and wouldn't be as famous as the Black family, etc... But for the purposes of this story, I've embellished a little. Please take the time to give me a little review! I crave them- sweet and praising or harsh and criticizing, I appreciate them all and they help me know how to improve. Thanks!  
Love, Rixa.**

READ: Hi, for those of you on ! I primarily write my stories and upload them to a different website, which is what I'm referring to if I ever mention 'hpff' or 'validation/queue' in my author's notes. Don't be confused if you see it in the future, as I probably won't edit my author's notes just so I can post my chapters here, too. 


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